{
  "country": "Belgium",
  "code": "BE",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-09-13",
  "source": "https://happychef.cloud/en/press-contacts/be.html",
  "national": {
    "description": "Belgium's press is split along linguistic lines: Flemish (Dutch-language) papers such as De Standaard, Het Laatste Nieuws, Het Nieuwsblad and De Morgen dominate the north, while Le Soir, La Libre Belgique, La Dernière Heure and L'Avenir lead French-language coverage in Wallonia and Brussels. Both communities are well served by lifestyle/food magazines (Libelle Lekker, Knack Weekend, Gael) and by dedicated culinary broadcasters such as njam! and VRT's Dagelijkse Kost. For B2B outreach, the bilingual Horeca Magazine and the two regional horeca federations' trade publications (Horeca Vlaanderen and Fédération HoReCa Wallonie) are the most direct route into the restaurant trade itself, alongside national wire agency Belga.",
    "tip": "Start with Horeca Magazine, the one truly national bilingual trade title restaurant owners' peers actually read; follow with Libelle Lekker (Dutch) or Gael (French) for consumer-facing lifestyle coverage, and pitch VRT's Dagelijkse Kost or njam! when the story has strong visual/chef appeal.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "name": "De Standaard",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": "redsecds@standaard.be",
        "website": "https://www.standaard.be",
        "notes": "nl; leading Flemish quality daily"
      },
      {
        "name": "Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN)",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": "redactie@hln.be",
        "website": "https://www.hln.be",
        "notes": "nl; largest-circulation popular daily, runs an active food/lifestyle vertical"
      },
      {
        "name": "Het Nieuwsblad",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": "nieuws@nieuwsblad.be",
        "website": "https://www.nieuwsblad.be",
        "notes": "nl; popular daily with strong regional editions"
      },
      {
        "name": "De Morgen",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": "dm.redactie@demorgen.be",
        "website": "https://www.demorgen.be",
        "notes": "nl; Flemish quality daily"
      },
      {
        "name": "Libelle Lekker",
        "type": "magazine",
        "email": "lekker@libelle.be",
        "website": "https://www.libelle-lekker.be",
        "notes": "nl; Belgium's leading food/recipe magazine (Roularta)"
      },
      {
        "name": "Knack Weekend",
        "type": "magazine",
        "email": "weekend@knack.be",
        "website": "https://weekend.knack.be",
        "notes": "nl; premium lifestyle supplement with a dedicated culinary & travel desk"
      },
      {
        "name": "njam!",
        "type": "tv",
        "email": "info@njam.tv",
        "website": "https://njam.tv",
        "notes": "nl; Flemish TV channel and platform devoted entirely to food and chefs"
      },
      {
        "name": "VRT — Dagelijkse Kost",
        "type": "tv",
        "email": "robin.deveen@vrt.be",
        "website": "https://dagelijksekost.vrt.be",
        "notes": "nl; flagship daily cooking show on public broadcaster VRT; email is the show's confirmed press contact"
      },
      {
        "name": "Horeca Magazine",
        "type": "trade",
        "email": "info@horecamagazine.be",
        "website": "https://horecamagazine.be",
        "notes": "bilingual nl/fr; Belgium's leading B2B horeca trade magazine, ~18,000 print + 40,000 digital reach"
      },
      {
        "name": "Horeca Vlaanderen (De Horeca Vlaanderen Krant)",
        "type": "trade",
        "email": "info@horeca.be",
        "website": "https://www.horecavlaanderen.be",
        "notes": "nl; trade publication of the Flemish horeca employers' federation"
      },
      {
        "name": "Le Soir",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": null,
        "website": "https://www.lesoir.be",
        "notes": "fr; leading French-language quality daily"
      },
      {
        "name": "La Libre Belgique",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": "llb.redaction@saipm.com",
        "website": "https://www.lalibre.be",
        "notes": "fr; quality daily"
      },
      {
        "name": "La Dernière Heure (DH)",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": "dh.redaction@dh.be",
        "website": "https://www.dhnet.be",
        "notes": "fr; popular daily, IPM group"
      },
      {
        "name": "L'Avenir",
        "type": "newspaper",
        "email": "redaction@lavenir.net",
        "website": "https://www.lavenir.net",
        "notes": "fr; Wallonia-wide daily with strong regional newsrooms"
      },
      {
        "name": "Gael",
        "type": "magazine",
        "email": "redaction@gael.be",
        "website": "https://www.gael.be",
        "notes": "fr; 100%-Belgian lifestyle monthly with a gastronomy section"
      },
      {
        "name": "RTBF — Bientôt à table!",
        "type": "radio",
        "email": null,
        "website": "https://www.rtbf.be/lapremiere",
        "notes": "fr; weekly gastronomy programme on public radio La Première"
      },
      {
        "name": "Horeca Journal (Fédération HoReCa Wallonie)",
        "type": "trade",
        "email": "info@horecawallonie.be",
        "website": "https://www.horecawallonie.be",
        "notes": "fr; trade publication of the Walloon horeca employers' federation"
      },
      {
        "name": "Belga News Agency",
        "type": "wire",
        "email": null,
        "website": "https://www.belga.be",
        "notes": "bilingual nl/fr; Belgium's national news wire, covers lifestyle and consumer news alongside hard news"
      }
    ]
  },
  "regions": [
    {
      "id": "antwerp",
      "name": "Antwerp",
      "nativeName": "Antwerpen",
      "description": "Belgium's most populous province and its restaurant capital, centred on Antwerp city's dense and fashionable dining scene.",
      "tip": "Pitch Gazet van Antwerpen's newsdesk first for print/online reach, and offer ATV a visual angle (opening, chef profile) for local TV coverage.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "Gazet van Antwerpen (GVA)",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": "gvaredactie@gazetvanantwerpen.be",
          "website": "https://www.gva.be",
          "notes": "nl; leading Antwerp-province daily"
        },
        {
          "name": "ATV",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.atv.be",
          "notes": "nl; Antwerp city/province regional television"
        },
        {
          "name": "Radio 2 Antwerpen",
          "type": "radio",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.radio2.be",
          "notes": "nl; VRT's province-based regional radio edition"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "east-flanders",
      "name": "East Flanders",
      "nativeName": "Oost-Vlaanderen",
      "description": "Centred on Ghent, this province is covered by the Oost-Vlaanderen desk of Het Nieuwsblad, regional broadcaster AVS, and hyperlocal news site Gentnieuws.be.",
      "tip": "Gentnieuws.be is fast-moving and receptive to independent-restaurant news in Ghent; AVS is the best option for broadcast coverage of openings and events.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "Het Nieuwsblad — Oost-Vlaanderen",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": "nieuws@nieuwsblad.be",
          "website": "https://www.nieuwsblad.be",
          "notes": "nl; regional desk of the national daily"
        },
        {
          "name": "AVS",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://avs.be",
          "notes": "nl; East Flanders regional television, pioneer of Flemish regional TV"
        },
        {
          "name": "Gentnieuws.be",
          "type": "blog",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://gentnieuws.be",
          "notes": "nl; hyperlocal Ghent news site"
        },
        {
          "name": "Radio 2 Oost-Vlaanderen",
          "type": "radio",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.radio2.be",
          "notes": "nl; VRT's province-based regional radio edition"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "west-flanders",
      "name": "West Flanders",
      "nativeName": "West-Vlaanderen",
      "description": "Covers the Belgian coast and cities such as Bruges and Kortrijk; De Krant van West-Vlaanderen (KW) is the leading regional paper, alongside broadcaster Focus-WTV.",
      "tip": "KW's redactie and Focus-WTV's newsroom are both confirmed, responsive contacts for press releases from restaurants along the coast and in Bruges/Kortrijk.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "Krant van West-Vlaanderen (KW)",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": "redactie@kw.be",
          "website": "https://kw.be",
          "notes": "nl; province-wide weekly/regional newspaper group"
        },
        {
          "name": "Focus-WTV",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": "redactie@focus-wtv.be",
          "website": "https://focus-wtv.be",
          "notes": "nl; West Flanders regional television"
        },
        {
          "name": "Radio 2 West-Vlaanderen",
          "type": "radio",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.radio2.be",
          "notes": "nl; VRT's province-based regional radio edition"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "limburg-be",
      "name": "Limburg",
      "nativeName": "Limburg",
      "description": "Belgium's easternmost Flemish province, served by daily Het Belang van Limburg and regional broadcaster TV Limburg.",
      "tip": "Het Belang van Limburg's redactie is the strongest single contact; TV Limburg is worth pitching for a video-friendly opening or event.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "Het Belang van Limburg (HBVL)",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": "redactie@hetbelangvanlimburg.be",
          "website": "https://www.hbvl.be",
          "notes": "nl; leading Limburg daily"
        },
        {
          "name": "TV Limburg (TVL)",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": "nieuws@tvl.be",
          "website": "https://www.tvl.be",
          "notes": "nl; Limburg regional television"
        },
        {
          "name": "Radio 2 Limburg",
          "type": "radio",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.radio2.be",
          "notes": "nl; VRT's province-based regional radio edition"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "brussels-capital",
      "name": "Brussels-Capital",
      "nativeName": "Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest / Région de Bruxelles-Capitale",
      "description": "The bilingual (increasingly trilingual) capital region has its own dedicated city media in BRUZZ, plus English-language The Brussels Times for the international/expat audience and free weekly Vlan for hyperlocal reach.",
      "tip": "BRUZZ is the single best first contact for any Brussels restaurant story since it covers food news across Dutch, French and English; add The Brussels Times for expat-oriented openings.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "BRUZZ",
          "type": "magazine",
          "email": "redactie@bruzz.be",
          "website": "https://www.bruzz.be",
          "notes": "nl/fr/en; Brussels' own multiplatform city media (web, magazine, radio, TV); its former sister title Agenda Magazine is now folded into BRUZZ's 'uit' listings section"
        },
        {
          "name": "The Brussels Times",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.brusselstimes.com",
          "notes": "en; English-language digital newspaper popular with Brussels' international community"
        },
        {
          "name": "Vlan",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.vlan.be",
          "notes": "fr; free weekly with hyperlocal Brussels/Wallonia editions"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "liege",
      "name": "Liège",
      "nativeName": "Liège",
      "description": "Wallonia's largest eastern province, covered by La Meuse (Sudinfo group) and two local broadcasters, Vedia and RTC Télé Liège (now branded QU4TRE Liège Média).",
      "tip": "Vedia and QU4TRE are both strong choices for a video-led restaurant story; reach La Meuse's Liège edition via Sudinfo's general newsdesk.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "La Meuse (Liège edition)",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": "redaction.generale@sudpresse.be",
          "website": "https://www.sudinfo.be",
          "notes": "fr; part of the Sudinfo/Sudpresse group — contact is the group's general newsdesk"
        },
        {
          "name": "Vedia",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": "vedia@vedia.be",
          "website": "https://www.vedia.be",
          "notes": "fr; Liège-Verviers regional television"
        },
        {
          "name": "RTC Télé Liège (QU4TRE Liège Média)",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": "info@qu4tre.be",
          "website": "https://www.qu4tre.be",
          "notes": "fr; Liège regional television, rebranded QU4TRE"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "hainaut",
      "name": "Hainaut",
      "nativeName": "Hainaut",
      "description": "Belgium's most populous Walloon province, spanning Charleroi, Mons and Tournai, served by La Nouvelle Gazette (Sudinfo) and regional broadcasters Télé MB (Mons) and No Télé (Tournai).",
      "tip": "Télé MB's newsroom (avis@telemb.be) is a confirmed, responsive contact; La Nouvelle Gazette's Charleroi desk is best for print/online coverage in the province's largest city.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "La Nouvelle Gazette (Charleroi edition)",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": "redcharleroi.nouvellegazette@sudinfo.be",
          "website": "https://www.sudinfo.be",
          "notes": "fr; Sudinfo group title covering Charleroi and the Charleroi-Centre area"
        },
        {
          "name": "Télé MB",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": "avis@telemb.be",
          "website": "https://www.telemb.be",
          "notes": "fr; Mons/Borinage regional television"
        },
        {
          "name": "No Télé",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.notele.be",
          "notes": "fr; Tournai/Wallonie picarde regional television"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "namur",
      "name": "Namur",
      "nativeName": "Namur",
      "description": "Home to the Walloon regional capital, Namur is covered by L'Avenir's local edition, regional broadcaster Canal C, and free weekly Vlan.",
      "tip": "L'Avenir's Namur desk (infonam@lavenir.net) is the most directly reachable contact for restaurant news in the province.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "name": "L'Avenir — Namur / Basse-Sambre",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": "infonam@lavenir.net",
          "website": "https://www.lavenir.net",
          "notes": "fr; local edition of the Wallonia-wide daily"
        },
        {
          "name": "Canal C",
          "type": "tv",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.canalc.be",
          "notes": "fr; Namur/Basse-Sambre regional television"
        },
        {
          "name": "Vlan — Namur edition",
          "type": "newspaper",
          "email": null,
          "website": "https://www.vlan.be",
          "notes": "fr; free weekly, local Namur edition"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}